Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #505156 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 241 pages

Customer Reviews

Stunning Stories of Recovery and Hope!
This book is filled with stories that wrench any parent's heart - and then fill it up again page after page - with new hope and inspiration!

These amazing recovery stories are a wonderful testimony to the devotion and unconditional love of unrelenting parents who will stop at nothing to recover their special needs child.

The Sound of a Psalm to the Soul and a Song to the Spirit
This is another extraordinary collection of personal accounts of people on the autism/Asperger's (a/A) spectrum who have been successfully treated with Auditory Integration Therapy (AIT). People with autism have trouble synthesizing sensory modes and have "hyper" sensitivity; that is, extraordinarily acute senses.

James, whose mother wrote about his spectacular progress in Stehli's previous book, "Dancing in the Rain" describes his personal experience with autism. A bright, well-rounded young man, James appears to be very accepting and open-minded. I like the way he was avidly interested in the "American Girls" series and saw no reason not to learn knitting; it was a real skill he had and he found it a soothing activity.

I loved it when James said, "...when you see your child lining up cards, for example, don't punish him for perseverating...don't see it as acting strangely. See him as the architecht or draftsman he could become, designing the strongest buildings or drawing the straightest lines." James speaks to hope and potential. He also addresses the very real problem of the word "perseverate" in any tense. While many professionals and parents might find it a helpful "shorthand," it is really just a negative and destructive word. It is highly damning, judgmental and has hurt many and done far more harm than any good.

James, like Stehli's daughter, Georgiana Thomas is an author. Articulate and insightful, James focusses his chapter on the positive aspects of having autism. Georgiana Thomas has written "Overcoming Autism," about her personal experiences and at the time of this review, her book is currently available only on her web site. Her book, together with James' work, "The Self-Help Guide for Special Kids and Their Parents" deserve places of honor along with this book.

This is one of the most inspiring and uplifting books about autism that I have ever read. Hats off to the people who shared their stories and for the Rays of Hope they have beamed each reader's way. We need this book!